Five Steps the Cleveland Browns Can Take for a Positive 2009

The best part about the Cleveland Browns' 2008 season was that it ended. And even the ending was tough to swallow.

The bitter completion to a season of disappointment came when the Pittsburgh Steelers slammed the door on the Browns' campaign by clubbing them 31-0 at home.

With 2008, it's coaches, the 4-12 record and several players all in the review mirror, it's time to look forward with the notion the Browns have bottomed out and there's nowhere to go but up.

The Browns are officially in transition mode as new head coach Eric Mangini and a bevy of new personnel add to a solid core of young, but unproven talent, while cutting the previous season's losses. The upcoming campaign will undoubtedly have its trials and tribulations as transition seasons always do.

It's hard to imagine the Browns as this year's surprise success story like last season's Miami Dolphins or Atlanta Falcons, though the New York Jets went from 4-12 in 2005 to 10-6 and a playoff berth in their first season under Mangini.

However, there are some simple steps the Browns can take to make next season a positive one. Here's a list of five things the Browns can do in 2009 that will make the season a step in the right direction, regardless of wins and losses.

1) Produce a competitive offensive line that plays as a cohesive unit.

An offense is nothing if its line is weak. The running game falters if there's never a hole to run through. A passing attack can't thrive should the quarterback have no time to get set in the pocket. 

Improvement in the offensive line is imperative. Has there been any team in NFL history that ended the season with three quarterbacks on injured reserve other than the 2008 Cleveland Browns?

2) End the competition for starting quarterback.

Either Brady Quinn or Derek Anderson has to emerge as the Browns' quarterback, while Mangini must choose his guy and stick with him. Then the selected QB needs to assume the role of captain of the offense. There can't be a leader if he's always looking over his shoulder.

The smart money is on Quinn to take the reins for good and for the Browns to search for the best package in return for Anderson before the season begins. 

3) Develop a consistent pass rush.

Last year, Cleveland allowed 42 touchdowns as the competition racked up an average of 356.5 yards of offense a game and opposing quarterbacks were sacked a total of 17 times. Dallas Cowboys linebacker DeMarcus Ware collected 20 sacks by himself.

Giving running backs gaping holes to run through and quarterbacks too much time in the pocket allows the other team to gain yards in chunks. A solid pass rush would make things much more difficult on the opposition. 

4) Consistently compete in the battle for time of possession.

Many of the problems Browns had in 2008 stemmed from the defense spending too much time on the field. Opponents averaged nearly five minutes more of possession a game than the Browns last year. 

The offense needs to limit turnovers and routinely surmount sustained drives of over four minutes in order to have a chance to win.

5) Change the culture of losing.

Mangini and his staff need to instill a belief in their troops that they have the talent to compete with anyone in the NFL. As unrealistic as it sounds, the Browns need to believe they can and should win every game on the schedule.

The top-tier teams in the league begin the season expecting to go 16-0. If the Browns believe in themselves, it could go a long way toward reversing last year's downward spiral.